1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hypothermia therapy apparatus comprising an inflatable blanket and a nozzle therefor. More specifically, the invention relates to an inflatable blanket and a nozzle provided with an interengagement mechanism.
2. Related Art
In hospitals today, 70% of all post-operative patients are hypothermic. This translates to 14 million people each year. Hypothermia is probably the most common, yet ignored, complication of surgery, and side effects can be serious.
Patients come into surgery in a state of normo-thermia, but core body temperature decreases during surgery, due to the effects of anesthesia, the air conditioning in the operating room, and cold blood, intravenous, and irrigating fluids. As a result of hypothermia, patients, especially the elderly, need longer stays in the recovery room. Most critical care patients also are cold and hypothermic. Further, core hypothermia is the cause of shivering in O-B patients following epidural and spinal anesthesia. Many post-surgical patients have vivid memories of the cold; they shiver. Some develop several coagulapathies, and arrhythmia can occur.
The goal of warming therapy is to keep patients normo-thermic, but nearly all current methods, including infrared lamps, cotton blankets, and warm water mattresses, are ineffective. Scientific studies have shown that patients actually lose heat with infrared lamps, cotton blankets, and warm water mattresses.
Forced air convection is the only therapy that actually makes the patient warmer. Present forced air convection therapy systems employ an inflatable blanket or tube which is connected to a hose that delivers warm forced air. However, due to the need for a system which is both inexpensive and disposable, present forced air convection systems use paper and plastic tubes and blankets. The receptacle for the heater hose generally comprises a hole in the tube or blanket which is reinforced by a cardboard plate having a similarly dimensioned hole therethrough. These holes have a diameter slightly smaller than that of the heater hose, and are provided at their perimeters with radial slits, so that they will bend to matingly engage the heater hose. However, pressure from the flowing air and movement of the hose in the receptacle quickly weakens the engagement between the receptacle and the hose. This results in leakage of the warm air, reducing the effectiveness of the forced air convection system, and ultimately in disengagement of the hose from the receptacle. When this occurs, the warming blanket or tube must be replaced. It is the solution of these and other problems to which the present invention is directed.